I love the carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras. I enjoy seeing the float designs. I love watching the excitement on parade-goers' faces. The marching bands can liven up a crowd while staying in step and sometimes dancing while performing their much-rehearsed songs.
The way I approach parades has changed as the years have passed. As a child, I would try to catch everything to bring home. Now, in my fifties, I bring a chair to sit and watch. I occasionally stand to catch whatever the revelers on the floats are throwing, but now I give them to any child around. The children love to get these. You can see the excitement on their faces when they receive these beads are trinkets. Seeing their excitement brings a smile to my face.
A few years ago, I went to a carnival parade with some friends. We were standing along the parade route watching as a marching band was approaching. Marching bands have chaperones to ensure the band has enough space on the street, so no one gets hurt.
I was standing behind the white line next to the curb as the chaperone approached. She informed me I had to get behind the white line. As I looked down, my feet were already behind the line. I said, “I am already behind the line.’” She then informed me my belly was not.
My friends thought this was hilarious and still teased me about this. I laughed, as well. It takes much more than that to embarrass me.
The problem was right there in front of me. I did not notice it because I was not paying attention to all of the details. I watched to ensure my feet were behind the line but failed to see that I still crossed the line with my fat belly. How often do we cross lines which we are not even aware we have crossed?
Several years ago, I was unaware of a line I crossed because of a term I used. I thought it was the proper term but was told it was offensive. Now, I am not politically correct but do not want to offend anyone. As Christians, we are called to love not to offend. I no longer use the term except in the proper context.
Sometimes we focus on what we are doing but forget the people around us. Those people matter. How you respond to people matters. Sometimes we do not recognize when we cross lines in our relationships. I ask adults to wait until I finish with the child when they interrupt. I also ask children to wait if they interrupt when I am speaking with an adult. We must treat all people with love and respect.
In business, lines can sometimes get crossed. We focus on the one area of business for which we are responsible but disregard how it affects other departments. It is not intentional, most of the time. We need to make an effort to keep the big picture in mind.
Traffic can result in people crossing lines. They seem to become other people. An example is a sweet church lady giving the finger to the person who cuts her off. She crosses a line to become something because of an emotional situation.
We need to focus on the big picture. We must know our role in it. We must not think everything revolves around us. There are many lines in this world. We, ourselves, may sometimes be “out of the box” in the eyes of others, but we must never cross the line.
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